Talk to Local User Group Organizers from Across the globe!
Share what works, what doesn't. Discuss tools to grow your group.
As discussed in http://groups.drupal.org/node/21545 the meeting well be on the Freenode IRC network in the #drupal-groups channel
In firefox you can use https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/16 CHATZILLA as a quick and easy IRC client
For an even easier experience, www.drupalchat.net Once all the chat windows are completely loaded, just type
/join #drupal-groups
and you will be taken to our channel.
Here are some things that need to be accomplished. [please add more]
1] I need to assemble a database of all group leaders. [group, loationc, leader(s), frequency] even ones that don't use gdo
2] I need to ascertain what the Drupal Association can do for us. Cary Gordon has recently been accepted to the Drupal Association and a Board of Directors position to assist in DrupalCamps and local events. My campaign for DA membership and a board position to assist "groups" was unsuccessful, however, Cary is my DA liaison; helping me accomplish these goals.
3] Get a sense from the L.U.G.O. members as to what they want from the group and what they have to offer the group.
Please reply with your suggestions as well. I'm not the master of ceremonies. This is a collaborative effort on the part of Group leaders to equip one another with the much needed tools to have growing and prosperous groups.
As you interact in forums, chat, or mailing lists, please mention this group so that we can attract other group leaders.
Thank you,
- Doug Vann
- www.dougvann.com
- www.twitter.com/dougvann
Comments
Saturday morning chat
Hey Doug, thanks for setting this up!
I look forward to seeing you all on IRC.
I need guidance on geographic scope of my group
While still at Drupalcon DC, I created a new group for Western Montana, thinking Montana is a huge state and I'd narrow it down to the region I live in, and the area I'd be willing to drive to a meetup. Some time later the g.d.o. moderators told me they'd rather I create a group for the entire state of Montana, and they prefer fewer large groups.
However there are many states which have 3+ groups and low membership, and many sub-state groups have been approved recently. So I'm really confused as to the principles involved here, and how to best get my new group off the ground.
Also, the messages from the moderators were unsigned, and the only way to communicate with them is through the cumbersome and obscure "log/response" system e.g. http://groups.drupal.org/node/19898/log/response/03584c4111c738c5496034b... - I found this anonymity off-putting. We're such a transparent community in most respects, I'd like to know who the moderators are by name!
I'd love to discuss this on the chat - if I can make it!
Found g.d.o. and maintenance groups
Thanks to Doug who cross-posted this thread, I found the maintenance and g.d.o. groups where such things are discussed, so that seems to be the right forum to air some of my concerns.
I'll still try to make the IRC chat though!
States are not local
Unless the plan is to create sub groups off of each state, I think it is a pretty bad idea limit the groups to states. Maybe the moderator lives in Vatican City, and does not realize that many of the states in the US are almost as larger than most European countries.
tough problem - but a bad group doesn't justify more bad groups
This is tough problem. The problem you point to (3+ groups with low membership/activity) should be fixed rather than creating yet another low-volume group.
While the system may be a little hard to use, it's the best we've got and lyricnz and pwolanin (among others) put work into making it better even though this is the only site where they use it. Using that system lets us keep track of all the conversations. We used to have the conversations in individual's e-mails via the contact tab, but that obviously is more likely to get lost even if it is less "anonymous." If you want to improve the system, see the discussions in the g.d.o/groups-drupal-org group.
Our current plan is to request as large of a group as reasonable within a new area. Then as a sub-group within a region gets popular enough it can be split off.
The best way to get the group off the ground is just to change the scope as the moderator requested - change it to Montana and the next time someone moderates the list they can see the initial group, the moderator message to you, your change to the group, and approve it.
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Very Good Points
Thank you both for moving this conversation along.
Andy,
Yes, the maintenance group is where answers are supposed to come on questions such as these. I am adding the Montana group conundrum to my growing list of experiences such as these. Often it comes down to who moderates it first.
As I enter into my role as a facilitator [still looking for a good verb to use] of local groups, I remain concerned about this very issue reoccurring. This is the first time that I have heard of the anonymity aspect. Andy is a great guy who can scratch his head and give GDO organizers the benefit of the doubt and not be juvenile about matters. However, that is not always the way things end up.
I have already promised transcripts of tomorrow's chat to be issued to key GDO admins as well as being made available for download.
This is a no-holds-barred ChatUp [wuddaya think? Not a MeetUp but actually a ChatUp?]
Any issue that one of us brings to this group is invariably an issue for many more people who are not yet in this group to voice it.
I certainly don't want to start a GDO Gripe-Fest or anything, but I do know that local groups are a very important and special needs case for GDO and as such we must be heard and responded to. GDO local groups is where a LOT of rubber meets the road for the Drupal community. For many its the first chance they ever have to finally shake the hand of another Drupal user. That encounter is essential as it is valuable. Whatever can be done to add value to and hasten that contact MUST be weighed, decided on, and enacted. [with the usual respect given to the fact the local groups are not the ONLY groups] :-)
I'll save my typing for the meeting. THIS IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!
- dv